A little rain in our Southern California forecast didn't stop us from having a great class, talking through our 5 Step Paint Care Cycle, Machine Polishing, & basics of Interior & Wheel & Tire Care. After lunch we went out into the garage to start working on our demonstration vehicle for the day, a class attendants 2013 Toyota. We typically like to demonstrate on a darker colored vehicle since they tend to show more dramatic before and after results, but the results on this car were still quite impressive. The clarity of the paint was a whole new white color. Lots of embedded grime, so it went from white with a sort of hue of yellow, to a bright white, full of clarity & a high gloss.

We started off by showing proper technique for using our Ultimate Waterless Wash & Wax, to safely remove all the loose contaminants, so we had a clean hood to work with.

After removing the loose dirt, dust & road grime, it was time to inspect the paint for any rough feeling above surface contaminants. The car indeed did feel rough, so we used our Smooth Surface Clay Kit to remove the above surface contaminants. One factor we always mention when evaluating for above surface defects is that you typically cannot visually see if a vehicle has above surface contaminants, you can only feel the rough texture on the paint when it is clean & dry.

Next, still evaluating what we are working with, we are now looking for below surface defects. This is done with proper lighting. If the vehicle is in the shade, chances are you cannot see the defects. They are only exposed when proper light hits the paint at the right angle. Here we use the 3M Sun Gun to inspect, but even an LED flashlight can help you identify what types of defects you are working with, and then help you determine if they have been fully removed, throughout your process. We usually first inspect in direct sunlight, then with various lighting when working on the car like an LED Flashlight or work light, and then in direct sunlight after complete. Always "dial in" your test spot and make sure your entire process, compound, polish, and wax is achieving the results you are after in that small test spot. During this test spot time you may pull the car out into the sun a few times, just to make sure.

Difficult to capture the defects on this white car, but below you can see what we were working with. What we were not able to capture was the embedded grime in this white paint. The car went from white with sort of a yellow hue to a very bright white paint with a high gloss, full of clarity.

We started with our "go-to" combination, Meguiar's Ultimate Compound applied with the DFC5 Soft Buff DA Foam Disc, on our MT300 Dual Action Polisher. We set the tool speed to 5800 OPMs, and attempted 4 horizontal & vertical 50% overlapping passes, with moderate pressure & moderate arm speed. This combination worked to remove all defects, & left us with a bright white paint which look like it had been polished & waxed, so we knew this is what we would use. If you are performing a test spot & home, and just becoming familiar with DA Polishing, it is always recommended to use the least aggressive method for the defects at hand.

Next, we used our Ultimate Polish applied with a DFP5 Soft Buff DA Foam Polishing Disc. Polish is an optional step especially for a light colored car, and we probably could have skipped it on this car, but I wanted the class attendants to get as much time as we could with the time permitting with our DA Polisher. We completed 4 horizontal & vertical overlapping passes, at speed 4800 opms, with moderate pressure, and a little bit faster than moderate arm speed, in two foot square sections at a time.

Next but not pictured, we applied a coat of our Ultimate Liquid Wax on a DFF5 Soft Buff Black Foam Finishing Disc, applying two overlapping passes, again at 4800 OPMS. We then opted to top Ultimate Liquid Wax with our new Ultimate Fast Finish, which is now Meguiar's best protecting & most durable full synthetic protection offering. More information on this product here, Using Meguiar's Ultimate Fast Finish (http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?65527-Using-Meguiar-s-Ultimate-Fast-Finish&p=578757). (Keep in mind ideally you would want to wait 12 - 24 hours for Ultimate Liquid Wax to fully cure before applying Ultimate Fast Finish. )